Book-stack.



E. 0. WHEELER. BOOK STACK. APPLICATION FILED MAB. 8,1909

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1, E M Wm R. 0. WHEELER.

BOOKBTAOK.

APPLICATION FILED MAKE, 1909.

980,372. Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

2 SHEETS-BHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND 0. WHEELER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BANKERS CONSTRUC- 'IION COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

BOOK-STACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 8, 1909.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

Serial No. 481,940.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND 0. WHEELER, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book- Stacks, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to book stacks, and has for an object the production of a stack composed entirely of metal and in which means are employed for obtaining adequate ventilation at the sides as well as at the front of the shelves.

A further object is the production of a book stack in which the book shelves are supported on laterally adjustable shelf supporting members.

A further object is the production of a stack in which simple and effective means are employed for supporting the shelves.

These and other objects I attain in an apparatus embodying the features herein described, and illustrated.

In the drawings accompanying this application and forming a part thereof, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a stack, a portion of which is broken away and the ends brought together to economize space, upon the drawing. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the stack shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section along the line 83 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a perspective view of a detail of my invention, and, Fig. 5 is a partial section along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a book stack embodying my invention, with the parts broken away to expose the parts lying back of them.

The stack illustrated as embodylng my invention is composed entirely of metal and consists of a frame portion built up of structural steel sections and supported on a suit able foundation. Shelf supporting members, book shelves and aisle supports are arranged to give convenient access to the book shelves. The stack consists of vertical columns or up rights 8, horizontal cross-beams 9', shelf supporting members 10, and shelves 11.

The uprights 8 are built up of structural steel members and are arranged in a single row and are secured to the base portion 12. The upper ends of the uprights support an ornamental coping 13. Each upright supports one or more of the horizontal beams 9, which extend at right angles to the line of the row of uprights and are located in corresponding positions on each upright. With this arrangement, all the correspondingly located beams 9 of one stack are in the same plane and cooperate in supporting aisle or floor supporting members 14. When two or more stacks are located side by side, the horizontal cross beams are continuous, extending from one stack to the other, and are connected to correspondingly located uprights in all the stacks. The aisles or floors are then located between and are supported by the uprights of adjacent stacks and provide access to each stack. The cross beams 9 are preferably connected to the structural frame, or to the wall of the building in which the stack is located. This arrangement prevents vibrations in the stack and renders it more rigid.

The shelf supporting members 10 are secured to the horizontal beams 9 at their ends only and extend vertically from one beam to the next adjacent beam below. Each member 10 is formed of two pieces, 16, of sheet metal, which are riveted together, and which are provided at their ends with flanges 17 The flanges 17 are formed by bending or pressing the individual pieces 16 before they are riveted together, and form, after they are riveted together, bifurcated ends for the members 10. The bifurcated ends of the members 10 are adapted to straddle the horizontal beams 9 and to be secured thereto by means ofbolts 18. Each shelf support 10 is secured to the frame portion of the stack at its ends only; one end being hung, by means of the bolts, on one beam 9 and the other end being secured by means of the bolts to the beam next below. The members 10 are located on each side of the uprights 8 and extend parallel to the uprights. A ventilating space 19 is provided bet-ween each shelf supporting member and the adjacent upright for the purpose of providing ventilation at the end of the book shelves. The members 10 are so constructed that they may be secured in different positions along the beams 9 so as to adjust the positions of the book shelves supported by them, to accommodate different widths of books. This adjustment is rendered possible by providing each flange 17 with a number of alined bolt holes 21, which are adapted to register with the bolt holes provided in the cross beam 9. In someinstances it may be desirable to probolt holes in each flange 17.

Brackets 22 are riveted or otherwise secured to each member 10 and are adapted to support the shelves 11, which are formed entirely of metal. The shelf supporting members 10 located at the ends of the stack are provided with the brackets 22 on one side only and are adapted to support the ends of one set of shelves. The members 10 located in intermediate positions in the stack are provided on both sides with brackets 22, and are adapted to support the ends of two adjacent sets of shelves. Each pair of shelf supporting members may support as many book shelves as can be conveniently located between adjacent series of cross beams 9 or between adjacent floors or aisles.

The coping 13 is provided with short cross beams (not shown), which support the upper ends of the top series of shelf supporting members 10. The lower ends of the series are connected to the uppermost series of horizontal beams 9.

The members 10 are of such width that the vertical ventilating space 19 is mainv clamping bolts 17.

The floor or aisle supporting members 14 are secured to the beams 9 and are adapted to support a floor or aisle constructed of any suitable member.

hat I claim is:

In combination in a book stack a structural frame comprising uprights and horizontal cross beams, vertical shelf supports secured at their ends to the horizontal beams, upon opposite sides of the uprights and adapted to be adjusted toward and away from said uprights, and book shelves supported by said shelf supports.

RAYMOND 0. WHEELER.

\Vitnesses VALTER F. MURRAY, E. XV. MCCALLESTER. 

